Super Mario 64 1996

Is it still worth playing?

Nintendo EAD's 1996 platformer for the Nintendo 64, directed by Shigeru Miyamoto, the first 3D Super Mario game. Bowser invades Peach's castle and hides its Power Stars in paintings that lead to other worlds. The castle is the hub, with three floors, a moat and a courtyard, and each painting opens a course with seven Power Stars, plus hidden ones, 120 in total. Getting them rests on Mario's moves. The analog stick gives 360 degree movement, and he can walk, run, jump, climb, swim, long jump, backflip and wall jump. On top of that, three cap power-ups, Wing, Metal and Vanish, are unlocked through switches in secret areas. It is widely cited as the template for 3D platformers. Mario still controls crisply today, and each painting lets you pick which star to chase, so the game feels open.